Tuesday, April 12th, 2022
'Ghost Guns' Rule, Magic Mushrooms Study & Gas Prices Down
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Indeed.com/newsworthy and Pampers.com
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to read the latest happenings...
Russia/Austria Meeting
Russian President Putin spoke face-to-face with a European leader, but no breakthroughs came out of the meeting. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says he confronted Putin about the horrors of war. However, he said Putin brushed the accusations of war crimes aside. Nehammer also told Putin that humanitarian corridors need to stay open and that sanctions would keep coming until Ukrainians stop dying. After all that, the chancellor said he wasn’t optimistic the war would end anytime soon. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials say they're still seeing “crimes against humanity.”
Read More: Reuters, WaPo, AP, NY Times, CNN
New Ghost Gun Rule
President Biden announced a new rule to crack down on so-called ghost guns. Those are handmade or self-assembled guns that don’t have serial numbers. Biden’s rule changes the definition under federal law, so it now includes unfinished parts. That means those parts will have to be licensed and have serial numbers like regular guns. Also, people who own them will have to get background checks. Gun safety advocacy groups are praising Biden for the new rule. However, the White House can expect legal backlash, too. Gun Owners of America promised to immediately fight the rule, saying it violates the 2nd amendment.
Read More: AP, ABC News, Fox News, DOJ, GOA, NRA
Extreme Weather Coming
70 million Americans are in the path of more severe weather in the central U.S. In the Dakotas, it’s already started snowing, and people there and other northern plains states could see blizzard conditions for the next couple of days. Also, today through Thursday, there is a high risk of big storms from parts of Iowa to Texas. They could bring damaging winds, large hail, and possible tornadoes. Tomorrow, the storm threat moves east, from Illinois to Louisiana. On top of that, there’s a threat of wildfires. Conditions are set for a dangerous fire outbreak in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Read More: USA Today, Minneapolis Star Tribune, WaPo, NBC News, ABC News, NOAA
Mask Mandates Reinstated
One major U.S. city is bringing back its mask mandate. Philadelphia says, starting next Monday, masks will be required in indoor, public spaces. This is because the rate of new Covid-19 cases in Philadelphia is going up. The case count yesterday was 50% higher than it was 10 days ago. That’s happening in other cities, too, so this may be the first of many mask mandates coming back. Some universities have already taken that step, too. Columbia, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Rice, and American University are among those who have reinstated mask policies.
City of Philadelphia: Philadelphia Inquirer, CNN, Fox News, WaPo, Philadelphia Public Health
Universities: Axios, NY Times, WaPo, CBS News
New Covid Drug Slashed Death Rates
A new, experimental treatment could be a gamechanger in the Covid-19 pandemic. The drugmaker Veru just wrapped up its trial, and it says when its new pill was given to critically ill people, the death rate was cut in half. Also, researchers didn’t note any serious safety concerns. This could be a big deal because, for now, most drugs already on the market are made for people who only have mild or moderate Covid-19 cases. Other treatments used in hospitals haven’t been very effective. So far, the latest trial results haven’t been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.
Read More: NY Times, MarketWatch, Veru
Psilocybin for Depression Study
It could be the first evidence that the psychedelic compound in “magic” mushrooms might work better than antidepressants. A new study with several volunteers found promising results. Researchers gave one group of severely depressed patients psilocybin. Then, they gave the other group of patients a conventional antidepressant. Three weeks later, those given the psychedelic compound reported “significantly greater” improvement in symptoms. Still, some experts say more research needs to be done to make real conclusions. Also, doctors say this doesn’t mean illegal street drugs can cure mental health problems.
Read More: NY Post, Bloomberg, NY Times, LiveScience, Nature
Gas Prices Start Dropping
Americans are starting to see some relief at the gas pump. AAA says the nationwide average gas price is now $4.11 a gallon. That’s down eight cents from a week ago and 22 cents from last month’s record high. One industry expert says the worst gas prices we’ve seen may be behind us. That's partly because several countries have announced they’ll release oil from their reserves. Also, there has been a recent surge of Covid-19 in China. Millions of Chinese people are being forced to stay home, so there’s not as much demand for gas out east. Still, it’s not clear exactly what’s going to happen to gas prices from here on out.
Read More: The Hill, Fox Business, CNBC, AAA
Busiest Airports in the World
It turns out eight of the top 10 busiest airports in the world are here in the U.S. That’s according to figures released by one industry group. The top spot went to the Delta Airlines hub in Atlanta, Georgia: the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Next on the list is a hub for American Airlines: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Third place went to Denver International Airport. Other American airports on the list include ones in Orlando and Las Vegas, showing that leisure travel destinations have been overtaking some of the biggest international business hubs like Beijing and Tokyo.
Read More: WSJ, CNBC, Reuters, CNN
CMT Awards
Some of the biggest stars in country music came together last night for the 2022 CMT Awards. Things got a little sticky when the co-host, Kelsea Ballerini, tested positive for Covid-19. However, she got creative, appearing on the big screen from home. Her co-host, “Avengers” actor Anthony Mackie, held down the fort in Nashville for the in-person audience. Another big moment of the night came when the Judds had their first major awards show appearance in more than two decades. The biggest award of the night, Video of the Year, went to Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean for “If I Didn’t Love You.”
Read More: People, Billboard, AP, Fox News, CMT
Trivia Tuesday
How many eyes does a bee have?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia
Q: What’s the most expensive home in the world?
A: Buckingham Palace
Read More: Architectural Digest, Luxe Digital, UK Royals